Surgery tips and tricks

Basically as far as the actual surgery goes the doctor will make an incision in your belly button and then inflate your belly with air so that they have room to work. Then there will be a few incisions around your belly, each doctor does a different amount and in different places. Then the dr will stick a tool into your vagina and then into your cervix so that they can move your uterus around and out of the way during surgery. The dr will most likely burn any endo they find. They may remove some and send it to pathology for a positive diagnosis. They'll check your entire abdominal cavity for abnormalities from top to bottom. Once they're done the doctor will pull out their tools and deflate your belly as much as possible and close up the incisions with either glue or stitches. You'll also most likely have a catheter placed during surgery, this can make it very painful to pee once you wake up. It'll go away within a day or so. You will bleed some vaginaly after surgery but it shouldn't be more than a regular period. Surgery can and often does make your period show up early. Be prepared for this.

Now onto tips and tricks

Shower the morning of surgery, you won't feel up to it for a few days after. Don't bother with makeup it'll just get smeared. No acrylic or painted nails to the hospital, no piercings either. I usually get a pedicure before surgery just as a way to pamper myself.

 With all the pain meds they'll have you on after surgery you will end up constipated. Take stool softeners religiously until you're off pain meds.

Have snacks and drinks handy as you don't want to take the meds on an empty stomach and the meds give you horrid dry mouth.

Set a timer so that you don't get behind on meds or the pain will get too bad and you'll have trouble controlling it, take them on time for a least 3 days then try spacing them out after that.

Day 3 is usually the worst as far as pain and then you start feeling better.

Sleep propped up, it'll help the pain from the gas and help your breathing which can be suppressed from the pain meds.

 Bring a pillow to put across your belly for the ride home.

I pretty much sleep for like 2 days straight just getting the anesthesia out of my system and because of the pain meds.

Get up and walk for 10-15min once every hour or so. It helps the gas escape and keeps you from getting stiff. Some also use a heating pad for the gas pain. Some also like peppermint tea. When I say gas pain I'm not talking about gas in your intestinal track, it's gas that's trapped in your abdominal cavity during surgery. It usually works its way out through your shoulder over the next few days and at times hurts worse than your belly. I personally just walk and sit in bed flapping my arm like an injured bird to work the gas out.

 I usually don't try to shower until like 4-5 days after surgery and even then its a super quick shower, get in, get wet, wash hair, rinse, put conditioner in and wash body shave pits, rinse and get out. Don't worry about shaving your legs, the bending hurts too much.

Remember to not lift anything over like 10lbs for 2wks after that if it hurts don't do it. Take it easy and be careful to not overdo it, it'll just make recovery longer.

The methods in This post post will help with recovery as well.

As far as what I take to the hospital I have always came home the same day except when I had my appendix out. That being said I usually still pack a bag just in case so that my parents or Sam can just grab and bring it to me.

What I take with me to the hospital:
Hair ties
Headband
Chapstik
Lotion
Pads
Gum
Chargers
Something to do while waiting to be taken back, coloring book, ipad, book ect.
Pillow for my belly for the ride home
Snacks for whoever is with you and something to keep them entertained.
I usually wear a baggy shirt, sports bra, yoga pants, fuzzy socks and slip on shoes. A night gown would be a great option to. Just something loose on your belly.
I have very long hair so I usually put it in a French braid so that it's out of my face and comfortable to lay on.

What I pack in my just incase bag:
couple pairs of panties I don't care about
Socks
Loose bottoms
Baggy shirts
Sports bras
Hair ties
Hairspray
Headbands
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Lotion
Deodorant
Pads
Chargers
Fav blanket

Update from Surgery

As you guys probably know I had surgery on December 10th, 2015. Dr. Arrington was looking for endometriosis or something else to explain my pain. I had a cystoscopy and a colonoscopy done while I was under to check for endo or other diseases in my bladder and bowels. Those both were clear. My bladder and bowels are perfect.

 Well he found an answer during the laparoscopy! He found what he thought at the time was endometriosis just past the prior excision margins, around the abdominal side of my cervix and over a major blood vessel. He also found some strange thickening. Everything was excised except the lesion over the major blood vessel, he decided excision was too risky and opted to burn the lesion into oblivion. Pathology revealed the lesions were endosalpingiosis and the thickening was just scar tissue. Endosalpingiosis is similar to endo in its misplaced cells from the reproductive organs. Endometriosis is misplaced uterine lining while endosalpingiosis is misplaced fallopian tube cells. Little is actually known about endosalpingiosis. From what I understand it behaves much like endometriosis in how it spreads and the damage and pain it causes.

Recovery was a bit bumpy the first month or so. I felt so much better but whenever I tried to do anything I ended up hurting myself and setting back my recovery.
Now almost 9wks after surgery I'm improving. Slowly but surely I'm getting better than before surgery. I am having more good days than before surgery but at this point I think I'm still having more bad days than good. But as my recovery goes on I keep getting more and more good days. I still have flare ups(currently having one :( ). BUT I've had so many break throughs since surgery. Emptying my bladder is no longer painful, in general bathroom time is no longer painful. I wore jeans for 5hrs one day! Haven't been able to tolerate jeans for more than a few minutes in 2yrs now. I've also been able to go days without taking any pain meds. And have been going milking with Sam more often and not have to take meds to do so. I'm really excited to see how I'll continue to improve. It's going to be a long road but it looks like I'm finally headed in the right direction :)

WARNING pictures of actual surgery and surgical incisions below

Incisions the day after surgery

Right rim of the peritoneal cavity

Arrows are pointing out blisters 

Burned leasion

More blisters 

Dotted line shows prior excision margins

Behind my uterus, dotted line shows prior excision, new blisters are circled